Small Equipment (One Ton or Less) Maintenance
Small Equipment is an application that is ideal for TC-11.
Manufacturers are not all that good about producing equipment that will remain corrosion free or suffer from corrosion problems. It is not unheard of to have new equipment delivered with corrosion in place.
It is a good practice to re-paint new equipment. This may seem like overkill at first, but the long term benefit of a high quality paint job is tremendous. TC-11 works best as a compliment to a high quality paint job. The surface finish of the item is not important. What is important is a layer of primer that is firmly bonded to the metal surface and a coat of finish paint to protect the primer. The TC-11 protects the finish coat.
TC-11 Tames Harsh Ocean Conditions
Aloha Cargo Transport is in the business of servicing the ocean barge shipping needs of Alaska and Hawaii. Our barges are exposed to some of the roughest ocean conditions on the planet, and we used to accept corrosion damage to deck freight as an inevitable part of ocean shipping. When Bruce Huddleston first approached me about using TC-11 to prevent corrosion on equipment shipped on the deck, I was very skeptical. Over the years we had tired a number of “corrosion inhibitors”, and they either allowed rust to form unabated, or if they did prevent rust we learned that it was difficult to remove the residue. We tried TC-11 in July of 2001 and it has been so effective in controlling corrosion that we now offer it as an optional treatment for all of our customers. Some customers, such as dealers for Caterpillar and Case, insist upon TC-11 being applied to every piece of equipment that is put on a barge for shipment. Our customers inform us that TC-11 is highly effective in controlling rust, and best of all, it is easy to remove without the need for soap or degreasers. – Richard Maxwell, General Manager
Prime any unpainted areas. Manufacturers use a lot of cadmium plated materials. Cadmium plating is not all that resistant to corrosion. It will last until the equipment is purchased, but it not for the lifetime of the equipment. Unless aluminum is anodized, it is not all that corrosion resistant either.
The combinations of metals that manufacturers put together is simply amazing. Using dissimilar metals means that the item becomes a metal eating battery as soon as it gets wet unless the paint is in excellent shape and/or a coat of TC-11 is present.
It is a good practice to own equipment that is a solid color such as black, blue, or the classic Caterpillar yellow. As long as the controls and name plates are not painted, this really helps to extend the lifetime of the equipment.
Once the paint is in excellent shape, it is a simple matter to apply TC-11. The TC-11 functions in a manner similar to wax on automobile finishes. It has the added benefit of penetrating into sleeves, threads, and housings to provide lubrication and TC-11 also removes rust.
After the equipment is clean and dry, spray a thin film of TC-11 on the metal surfaces. If the item has a lot of plastic or rubber, it is a good idea to apply a plastic preservative to the rubber and plastic parts prior to applying the film of TC-11 to the metal parts.
Don’t overdo it. The TC-11 lasts a long time. If you put too thick a layer of TC-11, it can pick up dirt.
Wash down the equipment with a clean cloth , a pressure washer or a hose nozzle every three months and re-apply a film of TC-11.
Do not apply TC-11 on top of an existing film of TC-11 without cleaning it first. TC-11 works because the salt and dirt are on top of the TC-11 film. If you apply a layer of TC-11 on top of the salt and dirt, you will trap the salt and dirt where you don’t want it to be.
Once a year, it is a good idea to thoroughly clean the equipment. Use a surface cleaner such as Muguiar’s Extra to remove the accumulated oil, grease, and dirt. Engine degreasers are not recommended for two reasons. The first is that they are stronger than they need to be. They can attack some types of plastic and rubber, and some of them even attack aluminum. The other reason is that the rinse water generated with these products is full of chemicals that are quite toxic in even trace amounts.
In some cases it is better to wipe the area down with a clean cloth.
Once a surface has be treated with TC-11 and cleaned with a mild surface cleaner, it is ready to be painted. The surface is dirt free, oil free, and rust free at this point, so the paint job will be quite durable. Be sure to wait until the equipment is completely dry, because even the tiniest amount water will ruin the paint job.
If a piece of equipment is to be stored for an extended period of time, such as winter storage, it is a good idea to re-apply a second coat of TC-11 about a week after the first coat.
At the end of the storage period, the equipment may have a coat of grime on it. It is a simple matter to wash off the accumulated grime with a pressure washer, soap and water, or a mild surface cleaner.After the equipment has dried, it is a good idea to re-apply a film of TC-11 as soon as possible Discussion
The equipment treated with TC-11 will not get “wet” if it is rained on or washed down. The water sits on top of the TC-11 film. This aspect of TC-11 takes some getting used to, but it is fundamental to the performance of TC-11.
The corrosion caused by occasionally exposing equipment to fresh water is minor in comparison to letting a film of dirt or salt sit on the equipment for years at a time. The corrosion caused by water exposure is virtually non-existent if TC-11 is used, since the water never actually comes into contact with the metal.
Use caution on generators and welders. These have electronics on them that should definitely not be treated with TC-11 or allowed to get wet. Applying water to any live electrical circuit is to be absolutely avoided.
Large Equipment (More than One Ton) Maintenance
Treating large equipment with TC-11 is divided into two parts. Shipping and operations.
Shipping
Customers do not like to receive new equipment that is corroded. There is something about spending $500,000 for a piece of equipment and having it arrive looking used because it picked up a salt film during transport. This occurs when the equipment is transported on a road that has been salted to control snow and ice or when the equipment is shipped by ocean transport.
By applying a thick film of TC-11 at the factory it is possible to have the equipment arrive at the final destination in the same condition that it was in when it left the factory.
Corrosion inhibitors suffer from two problems. They either evaporate, or they leave a wax film. If the film evaporates, corrosion takes place unabated. If a wax film is generated, it is very difficult to remove.
TC-11 is the only corrosion inhibitor that does not evaporate and it does not leave a wax film. TC-11 has unique chemical characteristics that allow it to offer the best of both worlds: a film that penetrates and lubricates like a solvent based corrosion inhibitors that provides the level of corrosion control associated with wax film based corrosion inhibitors.
After a factory has completed the fabrication of a piece of heavy equipment, it takes approximately three quarts and twenty minutes to treat a piece of equipment the size of a Caterpillar D-9. This represents twenty dollars worth of TC-11 and twenty dollars worth of labor at $60 an hour.
When the heavy equipment arrives at the final destination, which may be the other side of the world, it will have a coat of salt (white) and grime (black) on it. All the dealer or end-user has to do is wash the equipment with a pressure washer, and it looks as if it has just been waxed with an automotive car wax. It is not necessary to use soap and water. The idea is to wash off the salt and dirt and to leave the TC-11 film in place. The remaining TC-11 will provide corrosion protection and lubrication, and after a washdown it no longer collects dirt.
TC-11 can be applied with a low pressure sprayer. For large applications a manual or electric 4-gallon knapsack sprayer is very efficient.
The person who applies TC-11 should have a respirator approved for organic vapors, as well as eye protection.
TC-11 should be applied in a well ventilated area. The flash point for TC-11 is 110F, which means that the fumes generated during application should not be allowed to accumulate. After one half hour the fume issue is much less significant.
There is no need to be concerned about over spray. TC-11 does not affect rubber, paint, or plastic. This means that the applicator can apply a coat over the entire machine. This allows TC-11 to penetrate into every crack and crevice, which is where corrosion starts.
Operations
TC-11 is used on a much smaller scale for operational purposes than for shipping purposes in the case of heavy equipment. TC-11 can be used to treat hinges, latches, fittings, and other articulated mechanisms. The intent is not to coat the entire piece of equipment, but to prevent corrosion from starting at critical locations on the machine. The chemicals generated by a corrosion cell operate as a catalyst to accelerate the corrosion process throughout the entire piece of equipment.
TC-11 is particularly effective in “hidden” areas. Sometimes it seems as if engineers go out of their way to make water traps. By spraying TC-11 into cavities, it is possible to completely control corrosion. Because the areas are shaded or completely dark, the TC-11 film is semi-permanent. It is very important to clean the areas with water once year, if possible. The metal will not get wet, but the accumulated salt and dirt will be removed.
